Details
Eunice aphroditois
The Bobbit worm is a large burrowing polychaete and ambush predator. Hidden in sand, it snaps up fishes and crustaceans that pass at night.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs on warm coasts, reefs, and sandy-rubble bottoms of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Long burrows in loose bottom keep most of the body concealed.
Length 30-100 cm; weight 50-500 g. The long segmented body may show metallic iridescence. Antennae and powerful jaws sit at the head, while most of the animal stays buried.
Nocturnal and solitary, it exposes only the head from the sediment. Antennae detect movement, and the worm lunges upward with sudden speed.
A carnivore, it takes small fishes, crustaceans, and other worms. Strong jaws seize prey and pull it into the burrow.
Adults are thought to release eggs and sperm into the water during spawning. Larvae drift before settling into bottom habitats.
It is listed as Least Concern. Despite its dramatic reputation, it usually remains hidden and is rarely seen fully exposed.
